So I have finally reached the end of my series about birthstones, taking a quick look at each months gemstone and linking to examples of jewellery on my website. I am delighted to have been able to share pieces made with each birthstone throughout 2021, please look back at my previous post to find these.
This last birthstone post is going to be focussing on December. You are spoilt in December with potentially four birthstone options. Blue topaz, Tanzanite, Blue Zircon and Turquoise.
I shall be concentrating on Turquoise this month.
Turquoise is a beautiful opaque mineral, the blue green colour of the sea. It is a hydrated phosphate of copper and aluminium. On the Mohs scale of hardness it measures 5 - 6 (just under 6)
It is one of the first gemstones ever to have been mined and some of the original mining sites are still used today and with its beautiful intense colour it has been a prized gemstone for thousands of years.
It is found in many parts of the world but most notably Iran, US and the Sinai.
It has been used in jewellery making for many centuries with evidence going back to the Aztec and Ancient Egyptian civilsations - just think about the iconic burial mask of the Pharoah Tuteankhamun of Ancient Egypt.
Today turquoise can also be made synthetically and my jewellery contains a mix of natural and synthetic turquoise. Including these three pairs of earrings currently available on my website. Please click on photo for more details.
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